The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), the world’s leading professional society for fire protection and fire safety engineering, along with the International Code Council (ICC), the leading global source of model building codes and standards and building safety solutions, and Springer, a leading global scientific and technical publisher, has announced the release of the 2021 engineering guide titled “Fire Safety for Very Tall Buildings.”

The 2021 edition of “Fire Safety for Very Tall Buildings” provides information on the fire safety performance of tall, very tall, and super tall buildings.

Topics featured include emergency egress, fire resistance, building envelope, suppression, detection, alarms, and smoke control, with new guidance on considerations for existing buildings, energy storage systems, aerial vehicle platforms, and unique building features such as observation decks and fireworks displays.

(On November 21, 1980, a huge fire occurred at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. This video explores the chain of events that led to this deadly fire and what could have prevented it. Watch the other videos in this playlist for more experiments that demonstrate the chemistry of fire. Courtesy of SFPE and YouTube. Posted on Sep 21, 2015.)

Additional information in the Fire Safety for Very Tall Buildings guide consists of performance-based design and international practices.

“We know that very tall buildings impose unique fire protection challenges and require new engineering solutions above and beyond traditional methods,” explains Nicole Boston, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, Society of Fire Protection Engineers.

“This engineering guide provides fire safety engineers and fire protection professionals with specific and necessary engineering principles to overcome the challenges of fire and to protect very tall buildings, their occupants, and first responders.”

As leaders in engineering a fire-safe world, SFPE provides rapid dissemination of the most recent and advanced work in fire protection engineering, fire science, and the social/human dimensions of fire.

(Shortly before one o’clock on the morning of Wednesday 14th June, an inferno broke out in Grenfell Tower in West London. It went on to claim the lives of 72 people. Courtesy of Sky News and YouTube. Posted on Jun 22, 2017.)

Recently published books in the SFPE book series include:

• “Fire Safety for Very Tall Buildings”, and

• 2021 “International Handbook of Structural Fire Engineering,” with additional titles forthcoming.

Added to the expertise of the Code Council in model codes, standards, and building safety solutions, and Springer’s scientific and technology experience, the new publication provides a tool for all fire safety and design professionals around the globe.

“The population growth of many urban centers in numerous countries and the increase in the number of super-tall buildings being built have necessitated advances in fire protection engineering and associated technologies,” added Beth Tubbs, PE, FSFPE, ICC Senior Staff Engineer and incoming SFPE President.

“The second edition of “Fire Safety for Very Tall Buildings,” is an excellent product of the partnership between SFPE, ICC and Springer Publishing and provides critical guidance for engineers and fire safety professionals.”

The new “Fire Safety for Very Tall Buildings” is available for prices beginning at $109.00, with an additional 40% discount to SFPE members, and the standard ICC member price discounts.

The 276-page guide is available in various formats from SFPE and ICC, and institutional licensing options are available to academic, government, and corporate entities from SFPE.

“Springer Nature is very pleased to publish the “Fire Safety for Very Tall Buildings Engineering Guide”, second edition, making this important work available in print and electronically through the extensive SpringerLink platform,” remarked Michael Luby, Senior Editor and Publisher Liaison, Springer.

“This marks an important milestone in our strategic collaboration with the Society and its affiliates.”

A complete table of contents, purchase options, and additional information is available from SFPE at sfpe.org or from ICC at shop.iccsafe.org. 

See USFA Multifamily Residential Building Fires (2017‑2019)

Each year, from 2017 to 2019, an estimated average of 106,700 multifamily residential building fires were reported to fire departments within the United States.

These fires caused an estimated annual average of 400 deaths, 3,875 injuries, and $1.7 billion in property loss.

The residential building portion of the U.S. fire problem is of great national importance, as it accounts for the vast majority of civilian casualties.

A  Multifamily Residential Building Fires (2017‑2019) report from the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), which was recognized in the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program for Excellence in Public Safety, is available for download at no cost – and describes the characteristics of multifamily residential building fires reported to the National Fire Incident Reporting System for 2017‑2019.

Multifamily residential buildings include structures such as apartments, townhouses, rowhouses, condominiums, and other tenement properties.

Multifamily residential buildings tend to have stricter building codes than one and two-family buildings.4

Many multifamily residential buildings are rental properties, and they are usually required to comply with more stringent fire prevention statutes and regulations involving smoke alarms and sprinkler systems.

As a result of the type of building, the more stringent building and code requirements, and the fact that more people live in the building itself than in the predominant one- and two-family residences, fires in multifamily residential buildings tend to have a different profile than fires in other types of residences.

A major difference in the multifamily residential building fire profile is seen in cooking fires.

Cooking was the leading cause of 74% of multifamily residential building fires, almost twice that of all other types of residential buildings.

Multifamily residential buildings also tend to have central heating systems that are maintained by professionals instead of homeowners, thus there are typically fewer heating fires from poor maintenance or misuse than in one- and two-family dwellings.

Also, fire problems related to fireplaces, chimneys, and fireplace-related equipment tend to occur less often in multifamily heating fires since multifamily residential buildings generally lack these features.

Finally, multifamily residential buildings usually have fewer fires caused by electrical problems due to construction materials, building codes, and professional maintenance.

To download the complete 14-page report, go to https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/statistics/v21i7.pdf.

U.S. Fire Administration Honored in 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program

American Security Today’s Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards is the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program, and now in its Sixth Year, continues to recognize industry leaders of Physical and Border Security, Cybersecurity, Emergency Preparedness – Management and Response, Law Enforcement, First Responders, as well as federal, state and municipal government agencies in the acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to Keep our Nation Secure.

U.S. Fire Administration

• Excellence in Public Safety

  • • Fire Service Training & Professional Development

• The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) supports the fire and emergency services professional development community through the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) initiative to standardize training, education, experience, and certification activities.

• USFA and National Fire Academy (NFA) work to advance the professional status and expand the knowledge and skills of fire and emergency services personnel, with free training and education programs to support fire departments and emergency services organizations in preparing for, preventing, and responding to fires and other hazards.

• This national, competency-based professional development system helps to eliminate duplication of efforts and enhance the overall professional development of the fire and emergency services.

(Tonya Hoover, Superintendent at United States Fire Administration describes how the USFA  supports the training, education, and professional development of fire departments so they are better prepared to respond to all hazards. Learn more about the staff behind their mission. Courtesy of the U.S. Fire Administration, FEMA, and YouTube.)

The Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards highlight the most cutting-edge and forward-thinking security solutions coming onto the market today, to ensure our readers have the information they need to stay ahead of the competition and keep our Nation safe – one facility, street, and city at a time.

The United States was forever changed 20 years ago on September 11th, and we were fortunate to have many of those who responded to those horrific tragedies join us at the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon.

In the days that followed 9/11, the critical needs of protecting our country catapulted us into new and innovative ways to secure our homeland – which is how many of the agencies and enterprise organizations that are today ‘ASTORS’ Awards Champions, came into being.

Our keynote speaker featured a moving and informative address from TSA Administrator and Vice-Admiral of the United States Coast Guard (Ret), David Pekoske; to our attendees who traveled from across the United States and abroad, on the strategic priorities of the 64,000 member TSA workforce in securing the transportation system, enabling safe, and in many cases, contactless travel.

Legendary Police Commissioner William Bratton of the New York Police Department, the Boston Police Department, and former Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department was also live at the event, meeting with attendees and signing copies of his latest work ‘The Profession: A Memoir of Community, Race, and the Arc of Policing in America,’ courtesy of the generosity of our 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Premier Sponsors.

The 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program was Proudly Sponsored by AMAROK, Fortior Solutions, and SIMS Software, along with Returning Premier Sponsors ATI Systems, Attivo Networks, Automatic Systems, and Reed Exhibitions.

Why American Security Today?

The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast-changing security landscape.

American Security Today is uniquely focused on the broader Homeland Security & Public Safety marketplace with over 75,000 readers at the Federal, State, and local levels of government as well as firms allied to the government.

American Security Today brings forward a fresh compelling look and read with our customized digital publications that hold readers’ eyes throughout the story with cutting-edge editorial that provides solutions to their challenges.

Harness the Power of the Web – with our 100% Mobile Friendly Publications

AST Digital Publications are distributed to over 75,000 qualified government and homeland security professionals, in federal, state, local, and private security sectors.

‘PROTECTING OUR NATION, ONE CITY AT A TIME’

AST Reaches both Private & Public Experts, essential to meeting these new challenges.

Today’s new generation of public safety and security experts need real-time knowledge to deal with domestic and international terrorism, lone wolf attacks, unprecedented urban violence, shifts in society, culture, and media bias – making it increasingly difficult for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Military and Private Security Professionals to implement coordinated security measures to ensure national security and improve public safety.

These experts are from Government at the federal, state, and local level as well as from private firms allied to the government.

AST provides a full plate of topics in our AST Monthly Magazine Editions, AST Website, and AST Daily News Alerts, covering 23 Vital Sectors such as Access Control, Perimeter Protection, Video Surveillance/Analytics, Airport Security, Border Security, CBRNE Detection, Border Security, Ports, Cybersecurity, Networking Security, Encryption, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Campus Security, Security Services, Corporate Facilities, and Emergency Response among others.

AST has Expanded readership into integral Critical Infrastructure audiences such as Protection of Nuclear Facilities, Water Plants & Dams, Bridges & Tunnels, and other potential targets of terrorism.

Other areas of concern include Transportation Hubs, Public Assemblies, Government Facilities, Sporting & Concert Stadiums, our Nation’s Schools & Universities, and Commercial Business Destinations – all enticing targets due to the large number of persons and resources clustered together.

(See just a few highlights of American Security Today’s 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon at ISC East. Courtesy of My Pristine Images and Vimeo.)

To learn more about ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Award Winners solutions, be on the lookout for the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS Edition Fully Interactive Magazine – the Best Products of 2021 ‘A Year in Review’.

The Annual CHAMPIONS edition includes a review of Annual ‘ASTORS’ Award Winning products and programs, highlighting key details on many of the winning firm’s products and services, including video interviews and more.

It will serve as your Go-To Source throughout the year for ‘The Best of 2021 Products and Services‘ endorsed by American Security Today, and can satisfy your agency’s and/or organization’s most pressing Homeland Security and Public Safety needs.

From Physical Security (Access Control, Critical Infrastructure, Perimeter Protection, and Video Surveillance Cameras and Video Management Systems), to IT Security (Cybersecurity, Encryption, Data Storage, Anti-Malware and Networking Security – Just to name a few), the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS EDITION will have what you need to Detect, Delay, Respond to, and Mitigate today’s real-time threats in our constantly evolving security landscape.

It will also include featured guest editorial pieces from some of the security industry’s most respected leaders, and recognized firms in the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program.

• For a complete list of 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Award Winners, begin HERE.

AST strives to meet a 3 STAR trustworthiness rating, based on the following criteria:

• Provides named sources
• Reported by more than one notable outlet
• Includes supporting video, direct statements, or photos

Subscribe to the AST Daily News Alert Here.

Learn More…

Grenfell Tragedy: Call to Retrofit High-Rise Bldgs with Fire Sprinklers (Video)